I am a healthy, active female, soon to be sixty six years old.
During the spring season of 2021 I had a meniscus root tear in my left knee that I acquired while playing with my three year old grandson.
The injury wasn’t immediately evident as I had spent the next month on a road trip hiking in the mountains with no issues, other than experiencing some stiffness in my knee, which I would find relief by stretching prior to each hike. It was after I returned home when I began to experience a slight limp and weakness in the left knee. One day I took a step and had a sharp pain and soon realized I wasn’t able to bear any weight on that leg and fell.
I went to an Orthopedic clinic in Olympia, WA for x-rays and an MRI, which revealed I had a medial meniscus root tear in my left knee. The attending Ortho doctor gave me the option to either have surgery or let it heal on its own. He told me the recovery following surgery for repairing the root tear would be more difficult than having a total knee replacement. He also noted that he was the only doctor in Olympia who performed this type of surgery. After that appointment I decided to seek a second opinion. My daughter, who is an Orthopedic PA, did some research and discovered Dr. Grant Garcia. Her comment was, “Do you want a doctor who performs a limited number of these types of surgeries annually or a doctor who performs hundreds?”
Dr. Garcia reviewed the MRI and confirmed the diagnosis was accurate. I should note this type of injury most commonly occurs in sport injuries. He also explained to me that because I had little to no arthritis evident in my knees I was a good candidate for the Laparoscopic surgery. Doing nothing means in the future I would most likely develop arthritis and eventually a knee replacement. It was extremely important to me to resume my normal level of activities, i.e., hiking, kayaking and swimming.
On August 30, 2021 Dr. Garcia performed Laparoscopic surgery on my left knee to repair the MRT, which only took around forty-five minutes. I was given a pain blocker to help eliminate pain coming out of surgery. Following the surgery and throughout my recovery time I never once had ANY pain. As Dr. Garcia originally explained, the most difficult part of the recovery is the non weight bearing for eight weeks, which required using a immobilizer brace and walker and hopping around the house or to physical therapy appointments. I followed the home PT instructions explicitly and I found that I was a one to two weeks ahead in meeting my goals. By the eighth week I began hiking again, on alternate days, first couple days with a brace and then no brace. I would say currently my knee feels about 90% back to normal, however it should be back to 100% by the one year anniversary of the surgery.
Dr. Grant Garcia is a confident, exceptionally skilled Orthopedic surgeon, who listens to his patient’s needs and concerns. He clearly explains the patient’s diagnosis and provides an accurate prognosis. Above all, the proof of his abilities is in my knee.
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